December 7 marks the anniversary of the Japanese attack on the U.S. naval base of Pearl Harbor in the Hawaiian islands 72 years ago.

Thousands of people gather at Pearl Harbor every year to commemorate the anniversary of the 1941 attack that launched the U.S. into World II.

The Navy and National Park Service are co-hosting Saturday's ceremonies, which are open to the public, and which will include dozens of elderly survivors of the attack.

On Sunday morning, December 7, 1941, the American Army and Navy bases in Pearl Harbor were attacked by warplanes of the Imperial Japanese Navy. More than 2,000 Americans were killed and more than 1,000 were injured.